It was the game that had the football purists drooling: Arsenal vs Barcelona, squaring off in the Champion's League quarter final. Wenger Vs Guardiola. Fabregas vs Xavi. Messi vs...Silvestre. Fortunately we were spared that last matchup (but more on that later). The general consensus was that the first leg would be a tight affair, a score draw maybe with both sides weaving their pretty patterns, while aesthetes stood up and saluted the screen from time to time. Football would be the winner, to quote a particularly hackneyed phrase. Well they weren't far off with that prediction. The game did end in a draw, and there was some spectacular football played, the bulk of it, unfortunately, coming from the Catalans.
For the first twenty five minutes Barcelona set about justifying their reputation of 'World's best team' with aplomb. Xavi was controlling the game from midfield, Messi's darting runs pulled the Arsenal defence every which way and Dani Alves' bursts down the right were going largely unchecked. Somehow though, the Gunners clung on to their clean sheet, thanks mostly to the improbable hero of the hour, Manuel Almunia. He saved well from Messi, Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The much-maligned keeper has struggled with form this season, particularly in terms of claiming crosses and dominating his area, but his shot stopping on Wednesday night was spectacular.
Arsenal started the evening with Fabregas in the midfield, alongside Song and Diaby, and Gallas returned from his injury to assist Vermaelen in the middle. Clichy and Sagna completed the back four, and Arhsavin and Nasri flanked Bendtner up front. Everyone knew that Barca would test the Gunner's defence, but the hope had been that the Arsenal attack would assist in relieving pressure by exerting it down the other end of the pitch. Sadly this was not the case. Nasri's shot which went just wide was the home side's first attempt, after 22 minutes. Yikes. Barcelona's policy of pressing the player on the ball incessantly was simply too much for the Arsenal players to bear, and it wasn't long before the ball was being hit long for Bendtner. It didn't help matters that Gallas and Arshavin both went off injured (Gallas looks set to miss the rest of the season), with Denilson and Eboue coming on to replace them.
The score at the half was 0-0, unlikely as it seemed, but it didn't take long after the restart for things to change. Twenty five seconds in fact. Gerard Pique lofted the ball forward, and Ibrahimovic chipped an indecisive Almunia to open the scoring. Despite worries that the flood gates had opened, it took until the hour mark for Barca to extend their lead, in a strikingly similar fashion. Ibrahimovic was played in over the top by Xavi, and he slammed a finish into the roof of the net. Their game plan was clear now: they'd been toying with Arsenal, allowing a glimmer of hope to build through their profligate finishing, which they were now going to extinguish in ruthless fashion.
Except they didn't. The visitors took their foot off the pedal, and Arsenal were finally allowed to ask some questions of the Barcelona defense. On 65 minutes Theo Walcott came on for Samir Nasri, and immediately changed the game. After just three minutes he was released by Bendtner and his powerful shot slipped under Victor Valdes to halve the defecit.
Thierry Henry's inclusion at the expense of Ibrahimovic was a temporary diversion, but Arsenal were continuing to press. Almunia saved well from Messi at the other end, but just over five minutes from the end Carles Puyol tangled with Fabregas in the area, and having conceded a penalty the defender was subsequently sent off. Fabregas clearly had a point to prove, taking the penalty himself and thumping it as hard as he could, having sent Valdes the wrong way. In retrospect he might have been better off placing it, as during the run back to the centre circle he pulled up, having clearly exacerbated the injury he'd picked up against Birmingham the previous weekend. The plucky little Spaniard refused to come off however, with Arsenal having already made all three substitutions, and proceeded to hobble around the pitch for the remainder of the match.
So Arsenal snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat, despite being completely outplayed. There are positives to take from this game: the scoreline wasn't as embarrasing as it should have been, there is a remote chance we can progress to the semi-finals and in all likelihood, Arsenal will never be outplayed like that again at home. Fabregas and Gallas look set to miss the rest of the season however, and possibly the World Cup, and the Gunners will almost definitely go out in the second leg. Still, how great did it feel when that equaliser went in? A reminder of what it means to be an Arsenal fan.
In America till the 21st, so back for the City game, rest assured.
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Sunday, 14 March 2010
For just over two weeks, English football took a very small step towards modernisation. When Ryan Shawcross inadvertently broke Aaron Ramsey's leg, a number of journalists were particularly vocal in their condemnation of the extremely physical approach taken by many teams against, in particular, Arsenal. They said that football was evolving as a sport, and it is now played at a faster speed; ipso facto there is less margin for error if you throw yourself wildly at another player's leg (we're looking at you Ryan) and teams should not be lauded for combating skill and finesse with aggression and brutish, mistimed tackles aimed at kicking their opponents out of the game.
There are some, however, who would like to see football played as if it was still the 1950s. The leather ball would be lumped up and down the muddy pitch, crunching sliding tackles would be encouraged ("What's that Aaron? A broken leg? Well good thing you've still got one that works, we've already used our one substitution. Now hop along after that ball") and the players would be down the pub after the game, pint in one hand, pipe in the other. Phil Brown, manager of Hull City, is one such man it would seem.
Only two weeks on from the Ramsey incident, and with Arsenal again travelling to a Northern team which is near the bottom of the tables, both Premier League and fair play (www.premierleague.com/page/FairPlayTable), you'd have thought the home side's pre-match team talk might go something like this: "Right lads, obviously we're a physical side, and if we're to compete with those fancy dans from North London then we have to do what we do best. That said, I don't want to stoke the fire surrounding the debate about excessive force amongst technically inferior teams, nor do I want to give Wenger a reason to call for further scrutiny of the way we play. Therefore, just be careful how you go about things. Play physical, but do it sensibly."
Obviously Phil Brown was going to struggle with any words of more than three syllables, but he might have come out with something similar. Seemingly though, his advice was to kick the Arsenal players so hard that they'd still be feeling it next season, when Hull are busy trying to get promoted back into the top flight by kicking people in the division below instead. In the end though, as at Stoke, the Gunners were able to sweep aside the bully boys and take all three points back to North London.
The match started brightly enough. Hull's pitch is atrocious (they share it with a rugby team) so it was always going to be difficult for Arsenal to establish their passing game. A more direct approach was therefore the most practical option, but no one expected Arshavin to be the one to bundle the ball past two defenders, although his delightful finish into the corner was entirely predictable. 1-0 to the Arsenal after thirteen minutes, and the sensible money was on the Gunners adding to their lead. The officials had other ideas though. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (how many Hull fans have him on the back of their shirts, I wonder) was clearly offside when the ball was flicked over the defence, and when he gratefully tumbled under Sol Campbell's challenge, the referee pointed to the spot and booked poor Sol. Jimmy Bullard gave Almunia no chance with the penalty, and the home team somehow had a route back into the match.
Whilst all this was going on, the Hull players were dispensing 'Northern Football Justice': Denilson was sent flying by a wild challenge from Andy Dawson which earned the latter a booking, and Sagna was pulled to the floor by his throat by Craig Fagan, which earned him nothing. Whilst the referee was busy booking Dawson for his tackle on Denilson, George Boateng thought it would be a lark to poke Nicklas Bendtner in the eye. Bendtner's reaction was verbal rather than physical, but inexplicably both players earned the same punishment, a yellow card. George was clearly a man on a mission though, and just before half time he hacked wildly at Sagna, catching him on his knee with his studs, and the only question was whether the referee would have the balls to give him the straight red which the challenge warranted. He did not, but Boateng was still sent off for a second bookable offence. That's George Boateng, captain of Hull City, by the way.
It's one of football's clichés that it's harder to play against ten men than it is eleven. Erm, no it's not. It's much easier. There are fewer of them, duh. Sometimes, though, it can galvanise a team to work much harder to defend, and that's what happened on Saturday. For a couple of minutes Hull seemed to want to match Arsenal going forward and committed players to attacks, but this could only last so long. Soon it was backs against the wall, as Arsenal came forward again and again. That said, it was, at least initially, pretty ineffective. It was the sixty fourth minute introduction of Theo Walcott which served to change the dynamic. Only moments after coming on he burst into the box and his pullback found Arshavin unmarked in acres of space, but the Russian was clearly wearing Bendtner's boots from last weekend, and he shot wildly over the bar.
Walcott then picked out Bendtner in the middle but he took far too long to set himself and his shot was blocked. Still, you can't keep a good Dane down, and when Denilson's long range effort was parried by Myhill in the Hull goal, Bendtner pounced and his first time shot found the back of the net in the ninety third minute. Arsenal then held on for what could be an absolutely vital three points come May. Credit to Hull though, they really dug their heels in and still managed to look dangerous even with ten men for the entire second half.
Couple of talking points though, raised by Phil Brown after the game. He suggested that Campbell should have been sent off for his challenge which led the penalty. Er, that's after the striker has incorrectly been ruled onside Phil. Whether Campbell should be sent off is a moot point, as whatever punishment he receives will be unjustified.
Brown also mentioned a robust challenge from Campbell on Kamil Zayatte. This issue opens up a bit of a can of worms unfortunately. The ball is won cleanly, but the force with which Campbell eventually hit the player is enough to injure him and force him out of the game. Critics of Arsenal have suggested that Wenger cannot therefore criticise players who have injured members of his own squad with heavy tackles. This line of argument exposes the inherent hypocrisy within both sides of the debate.
Some fans suggest that Arsenal need to be protected from tackles which injure their players, when Arsenal players are sometimes (but not often) guilty of doing the same thing to the other team. Other fans claim there's nothing wrong with aggressive tackling, and that severe injuries are a unfortunate side effect, ergo there's nothing wrong with Campbell's challenge, so there's no reason to criticise him or Arsenal.
First and foremost, Sol won the ball, so it can't have been that bad a tackle. Secondly, I think that the levels of debate that have raged on over the last couple of weeks are a good enough reason for the FA to really address this issue and make it very clear where they stand. Will they though? Unlikely. The FA couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery, so expect nothing but silence from them.
Bad challenges and fake tans aside, Saturday was a hard fought and important win for the Arsenal. With any luck we'll never play Hull again, and they'll have to look up from the second tier of the football league at the Gunners being crowned champions of England. Fingers crossed eh?
There are some, however, who would like to see football played as if it was still the 1950s. The leather ball would be lumped up and down the muddy pitch, crunching sliding tackles would be encouraged ("What's that Aaron? A broken leg? Well good thing you've still got one that works, we've already used our one substitution. Now hop along after that ball") and the players would be down the pub after the game, pint in one hand, pipe in the other. Phil Brown, manager of Hull City, is one such man it would seem.
Only two weeks on from the Ramsey incident, and with Arsenal again travelling to a Northern team which is near the bottom of the tables, both Premier League and fair play (www.premierleague.com/page/FairPlayTable), you'd have thought the home side's pre-match team talk might go something like this: "Right lads, obviously we're a physical side, and if we're to compete with those fancy dans from North London then we have to do what we do best. That said, I don't want to stoke the fire surrounding the debate about excessive force amongst technically inferior teams, nor do I want to give Wenger a reason to call for further scrutiny of the way we play. Therefore, just be careful how you go about things. Play physical, but do it sensibly."
Obviously Phil Brown was going to struggle with any words of more than three syllables, but he might have come out with something similar. Seemingly though, his advice was to kick the Arsenal players so hard that they'd still be feeling it next season, when Hull are busy trying to get promoted back into the top flight by kicking people in the division below instead. In the end though, as at Stoke, the Gunners were able to sweep aside the bully boys and take all three points back to North London.
The match started brightly enough. Hull's pitch is atrocious (they share it with a rugby team) so it was always going to be difficult for Arsenal to establish their passing game. A more direct approach was therefore the most practical option, but no one expected Arshavin to be the one to bundle the ball past two defenders, although his delightful finish into the corner was entirely predictable. 1-0 to the Arsenal after thirteen minutes, and the sensible money was on the Gunners adding to their lead. The officials had other ideas though. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (how many Hull fans have him on the back of their shirts, I wonder) was clearly offside when the ball was flicked over the defence, and when he gratefully tumbled under Sol Campbell's challenge, the referee pointed to the spot and booked poor Sol. Jimmy Bullard gave Almunia no chance with the penalty, and the home team somehow had a route back into the match.
Whilst all this was going on, the Hull players were dispensing 'Northern Football Justice': Denilson was sent flying by a wild challenge from Andy Dawson which earned the latter a booking, and Sagna was pulled to the floor by his throat by Craig Fagan, which earned him nothing. Whilst the referee was busy booking Dawson for his tackle on Denilson, George Boateng thought it would be a lark to poke Nicklas Bendtner in the eye. Bendtner's reaction was verbal rather than physical, but inexplicably both players earned the same punishment, a yellow card. George was clearly a man on a mission though, and just before half time he hacked wildly at Sagna, catching him on his knee with his studs, and the only question was whether the referee would have the balls to give him the straight red which the challenge warranted. He did not, but Boateng was still sent off for a second bookable offence. That's George Boateng, captain of Hull City, by the way.
It's one of football's clichés that it's harder to play against ten men than it is eleven. Erm, no it's not. It's much easier. There are fewer of them, duh. Sometimes, though, it can galvanise a team to work much harder to defend, and that's what happened on Saturday. For a couple of minutes Hull seemed to want to match Arsenal going forward and committed players to attacks, but this could only last so long. Soon it was backs against the wall, as Arsenal came forward again and again. That said, it was, at least initially, pretty ineffective. It was the sixty fourth minute introduction of Theo Walcott which served to change the dynamic. Only moments after coming on he burst into the box and his pullback found Arshavin unmarked in acres of space, but the Russian was clearly wearing Bendtner's boots from last weekend, and he shot wildly over the bar.
Walcott then picked out Bendtner in the middle but he took far too long to set himself and his shot was blocked. Still, you can't keep a good Dane down, and when Denilson's long range effort was parried by Myhill in the Hull goal, Bendtner pounced and his first time shot found the back of the net in the ninety third minute. Arsenal then held on for what could be an absolutely vital three points come May. Credit to Hull though, they really dug their heels in and still managed to look dangerous even with ten men for the entire second half.
Couple of talking points though, raised by Phil Brown after the game. He suggested that Campbell should have been sent off for his challenge which led the penalty. Er, that's after the striker has incorrectly been ruled onside Phil. Whether Campbell should be sent off is a moot point, as whatever punishment he receives will be unjustified.
Brown also mentioned a robust challenge from Campbell on Kamil Zayatte. This issue opens up a bit of a can of worms unfortunately. The ball is won cleanly, but the force with which Campbell eventually hit the player is enough to injure him and force him out of the game. Critics of Arsenal have suggested that Wenger cannot therefore criticise players who have injured members of his own squad with heavy tackles. This line of argument exposes the inherent hypocrisy within both sides of the debate.
Some fans suggest that Arsenal need to be protected from tackles which injure their players, when Arsenal players are sometimes (but not often) guilty of doing the same thing to the other team. Other fans claim there's nothing wrong with aggressive tackling, and that severe injuries are a unfortunate side effect, ergo there's nothing wrong with Campbell's challenge, so there's no reason to criticise him or Arsenal.
First and foremost, Sol won the ball, so it can't have been that bad a tackle. Secondly, I think that the levels of debate that have raged on over the last couple of weeks are a good enough reason for the FA to really address this issue and make it very clear where they stand. Will they though? Unlikely. The FA couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery, so expect nothing but silence from them.
Bad challenges and fake tans aside, Saturday was a hard fought and important win for the Arsenal. With any luck we'll never play Hull again, and they'll have to look up from the second tier of the football league at the Gunners being crowned champions of England. Fingers crossed eh?
Monday, 8 March 2010
It's Monday evening, which must mean that members of the British media have sat down and decided which team they'll predict to win the league. Until next Monday, that is when they'll meet to decide on a new team.
It's testament to the unpredictable nature of the title chase this season that no one seems happy to back a side, or stick by the one they chose last week. The Guardian sports writers especially must be nervously wondering if people have started to forget that they picked Liverpool to finish first, and Arsenal to finish fifth. Good call by the way guys. Journalists must be cursing Arsenal's resilience though, as their dogged efforts to stay in the hunt means the whole things is much harder to call. Well I'm going to draw a line under the whole thing and say that I think Manchester United will win the league this season. Not because I think they're the best team, mind, but because United crawling their way to another title while their competitors are busy imploding seems like a horrible inevitability. Like death. At least in death I wouldn't have to look at Gary Neville dancing around the trophy like a goblin around a toadstool.
Anyway, on Saturday Arsenal squared off against the team with the worst away record in the football league. Burnley had taken one point from a possible forty two going into this game, conceding forty three and scoring just ten. The form book suggested that this would be the easiest game the Gunners would play all season. Well the form book could not have anticipated Nicklas Bendtner mistaking his shooting boots for his clown shoes. The big Dane missed a host of chances. Instead of scoring the perfect hat-trick (left foot, right foot, header) he managed to miss with all three instead. It took an inspired display from Walcott and Nasri (I don't think anyone saw that coming) to bag all three points.
Arsenal started brightly and Bendtner was soon played in behind the visitor's defence, but a good tackle and a good save took the ball away from him and behind the goal. An impudent flick from Eboué allowed Fàbregas the room to hit a shot across the keeper but wide of the goal. It wasn't long before the breakthrough however, as Nasri deftly chipped the ball over a static defence, and Cesc was on hand to roll it through the goalie's legs. He has now equalled Robert Pirès's record of 14 goals from midfield. He also has 15 assists. He turns 23 in May.
The Spaniard tweaked a hamstring and was withdrawn before half time, but not before his pinpoint pass allowed Eboué to run beyond his defender and square for Bendtner, who succeeded only in stabbing the ball wide from close range. The afternoon would not get much better for him: shortly after the restart he headed an excellent Walcott cross wide from six yards. It was the sort of chance that I could have finished, and I close my eyes when the ball is coming at me. It seemed as though the home side would be made to pay for Bendtner's wastefulness in front of goal when a clearance was headed straight back towards the Arsenal box, bypassing both central defender, which allowed David Nugent to shin the ball over Almunia for an unlikely equaliser.
Bendtner made a hash of another chance when Walcott cut the ball back to him in the box, only for the Dane's touch to take the ball away from goal, and his eventual shot was easily blocked by a defender. Theo clearly decided to take matters into his own hands, and after his driven effort was successfully saved by Brian Jensen, he went for placement with his next one. Despite striking the ball from the edge of the area and with his left foot, he saw it curl into the far corner to restore Arsenal's lead.
Burnley came close to equalising for a second time but their player shot wildly over the bar after Almunia spilled a corner. The miss paled in comparison to another Bendtner special however, as he contrived to miss an absolute sitter at the other end; Walcott's first time cross was played right to his feet, but from only five yards out the Danish striker managed only to roll the ball wide. He was withdrawn soon after to applause from the crowd, who are still collectively feeling guilty about the awful treatment of Emmanuel Eboué last season. Eventually the points were made safe by Arshavin, who had started the game on the bench after a spell on the treatment table, as he smashed in a left footed shot from inside the box. Three points and smiles all round, but talk about making heavy weather of it.
I think we can chalk up Bendtner's performance as a one off; every striker will have a game like that at some point, and before Saturday he had three goals in three games for club and country. The really pleasing performances came from Nasri and Walcott, two players who have been mired in mediocrity of late. Little Samir has looked extremely lightweight this season, scoring just once and often looking extremely anonymous. The same had been said of Walcott, but both players bossed their respective positions. Walcott's crossing was top notch, and he should have had a handful of assists to compliment his finely taken goal. Nasri's ball in to Fàbregas to set up the first goal was sublime, and after the captain had gone off, he assumed the bulk of the creative responsibilities in midfield, a task which he accomplished with great success. Eboué continues to impress at right back, providing Walcott with the kind of support he needs to be effective, and Sagna will struggle to dislodge the Ivorian after a run of good performances. All in all, a trying afternoon, but we'll take the three points thankyouverymuch.
The Ramsey saga rumbles on meanwhile, as the media are determined to milk every last drop out of it. I've already said what I wanted to say, but I think this article hits the nail on the head, and more than covers any further comments I'd care to make:
www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/35100/Ramsey_reaction_Written_press_deafened_by_shrill_chorus_of_ex-players.aspx
It's testament to the unpredictable nature of the title chase this season that no one seems happy to back a side, or stick by the one they chose last week. The Guardian sports writers especially must be nervously wondering if people have started to forget that they picked Liverpool to finish first, and Arsenal to finish fifth. Good call by the way guys. Journalists must be cursing Arsenal's resilience though, as their dogged efforts to stay in the hunt means the whole things is much harder to call. Well I'm going to draw a line under the whole thing and say that I think Manchester United will win the league this season. Not because I think they're the best team, mind, but because United crawling their way to another title while their competitors are busy imploding seems like a horrible inevitability. Like death. At least in death I wouldn't have to look at Gary Neville dancing around the trophy like a goblin around a toadstool.
Anyway, on Saturday Arsenal squared off against the team with the worst away record in the football league. Burnley had taken one point from a possible forty two going into this game, conceding forty three and scoring just ten. The form book suggested that this would be the easiest game the Gunners would play all season. Well the form book could not have anticipated Nicklas Bendtner mistaking his shooting boots for his clown shoes. The big Dane missed a host of chances. Instead of scoring the perfect hat-trick (left foot, right foot, header) he managed to miss with all three instead. It took an inspired display from Walcott and Nasri (I don't think anyone saw that coming) to bag all three points.
Arsenal started brightly and Bendtner was soon played in behind the visitor's defence, but a good tackle and a good save took the ball away from him and behind the goal. An impudent flick from Eboué allowed Fàbregas the room to hit a shot across the keeper but wide of the goal. It wasn't long before the breakthrough however, as Nasri deftly chipped the ball over a static defence, and Cesc was on hand to roll it through the goalie's legs. He has now equalled Robert Pirès's record of 14 goals from midfield. He also has 15 assists. He turns 23 in May.
The Spaniard tweaked a hamstring and was withdrawn before half time, but not before his pinpoint pass allowed Eboué to run beyond his defender and square for Bendtner, who succeeded only in stabbing the ball wide from close range. The afternoon would not get much better for him: shortly after the restart he headed an excellent Walcott cross wide from six yards. It was the sort of chance that I could have finished, and I close my eyes when the ball is coming at me. It seemed as though the home side would be made to pay for Bendtner's wastefulness in front of goal when a clearance was headed straight back towards the Arsenal box, bypassing both central defender, which allowed David Nugent to shin the ball over Almunia for an unlikely equaliser.
Bendtner made a hash of another chance when Walcott cut the ball back to him in the box, only for the Dane's touch to take the ball away from goal, and his eventual shot was easily blocked by a defender. Theo clearly decided to take matters into his own hands, and after his driven effort was successfully saved by Brian Jensen, he went for placement with his next one. Despite striking the ball from the edge of the area and with his left foot, he saw it curl into the far corner to restore Arsenal's lead.
Burnley came close to equalising for a second time but their player shot wildly over the bar after Almunia spilled a corner. The miss paled in comparison to another Bendtner special however, as he contrived to miss an absolute sitter at the other end; Walcott's first time cross was played right to his feet, but from only five yards out the Danish striker managed only to roll the ball wide. He was withdrawn soon after to applause from the crowd, who are still collectively feeling guilty about the awful treatment of Emmanuel Eboué last season. Eventually the points were made safe by Arshavin, who had started the game on the bench after a spell on the treatment table, as he smashed in a left footed shot from inside the box. Three points and smiles all round, but talk about making heavy weather of it.
I think we can chalk up Bendtner's performance as a one off; every striker will have a game like that at some point, and before Saturday he had three goals in three games for club and country. The really pleasing performances came from Nasri and Walcott, two players who have been mired in mediocrity of late. Little Samir has looked extremely lightweight this season, scoring just once and often looking extremely anonymous. The same had been said of Walcott, but both players bossed their respective positions. Walcott's crossing was top notch, and he should have had a handful of assists to compliment his finely taken goal. Nasri's ball in to Fàbregas to set up the first goal was sublime, and after the captain had gone off, he assumed the bulk of the creative responsibilities in midfield, a task which he accomplished with great success. Eboué continues to impress at right back, providing Walcott with the kind of support he needs to be effective, and Sagna will struggle to dislodge the Ivorian after a run of good performances. All in all, a trying afternoon, but we'll take the three points thankyouverymuch.
The Ramsey saga rumbles on meanwhile, as the media are determined to milk every last drop out of it. I've already said what I wanted to say, but I think this article hits the nail on the head, and more than covers any further comments I'd care to make:
www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/35100/Ramsey_reaction_Written_press_deafened_by_shrill_chorus_of_ex-players.aspx
Sunday, 28 February 2010
On Saturday, 23 February 2008, Arsenal's title challenge was derailed after Eduardo suffered a shocking injury at the hands of Birmingham City defender Martin Taylor. The Croatian striker's ankle was broken by a mistimed challenge and with Birmingham grabbing a late equaliser, Manchester United cut Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premiership to three points.
Fast forward to Saturday, 27 February 2010: Arsenal trail league leaders Chelsea by six points, but in the day's early kick off, Manchester City take all three points at Stamford Bridge as two Chelsea players are sent off. The Gunners travel to Stoke knowing a win would cut the their rival's lead to just three points. After an even first half which sees a sublime Bendtner header cancel out Stoke's opener (which dishearteningly comes about through a Delap long throw), Aaron Ramsey's leg is broken by a mistimed challenege from the Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross.
This time however, the Arsenal players are not going to let a horrific injury to a team-mate be the defining moment of their season. Instead it becomes the moment that allows them to go on and win the game. Instead of falling out of the title race, Arsenal have somehow managed to fall back into it. If Ramsey's broken leg can serve one purpose, maybe it's that it can be the inspiration for a monumental push towards the Premier League Summit, and finally Arsenal can be rewarded with the league title that they should have had two years ago.
Arsenal have released the following statement regarding Ramsey: “During yesterday’s match against Stoke City, Aaron Ramsey sustained fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg. Yesterday evening he underwent surgery.
"The operation successfully reduced the fractures and whilst it is too soon to state an exact timescale for recovery, Aaron will certainly miss the remainder of this season. Our thoughts are with Aaron at this time and everyone at the Club wishes him all the best in making as speedy a return to action as possible.”
At least the words 'career threatening' haven't been used. There was a genuine fear that Eduardo would never play again, and whilst he still hasn't quite recaptured the form that made his injury in 2008 such a devastating loss to his team, we should be happy that he's able to run, let alone play football. The sad thing for Aaron is that, at just nineteen, he needs to be playing and developing, not enduring surgery and physiotherapy. His seemingly good natured demeanour accompanies a precocious talent, and not only will he be missed on the pitch, no doubt he will be missed in the dressing room too. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't wish him a speedy recovery.
Having examined the incident, most people have come to the conclusion that there was no malice or intent in the challenge. They're probably right. It happens very quickly, and seems more like a coming together than anything else. Shawcross is visibly shaken and leaves the field in tears, and whilst his intention may have been to go in hard, it seems unlikely that he had any intention of injuring anyone. Stoke team-mates have spoken out in his defence with the usual fluff: "He's an honest guy"... "He's not got a bad bone in his body"... "I'd trust him over John Terry any day". That settles it then.
Well actually it doesn't. Shawcross has previous. He injured erstwhile Gunner and fox-in-the-box Francis Jeffers (after he had left Arsenal); Jeffers suffered ligament damage and was out for some time. In last season's fixture at Stoke, it was Shawcross who stood on Adebayor's ankle, seemingly in retaliation for an earlier challenge, and it was some time before the Togolese striker played again. I'll reiterate my belief that the Stoke defender did not go into the challenge with the intention of hurting anyone, but this kind of incident is symptomatic of the way that teams try play against Arsenal these days.
It is a widely held belief amongst fans, the media, players and managers that Arsenal 'don't like it up 'em'. If your team consists of eleven men who have more in common genetically with a gorilla than homo sapiens, then to take points off Arsenal you'll need to kick them off the park. That's great, football is a physical game, but if teams keep adopting this overly physical approach then someone will get badly hurt. People wonder why Arsenal seem to suffer a perennial injury crisis. Maybe it's because every other game they play involves getting the crap kicked out of them. Ramsey is the third player in recent memory to suffer a major leg break. There was the aforementioned Eduardo incident, as well as Diaby against Sunderland, in a meaningless end of season match (a fact that did not stop a Sunderland player from lunging in wildly on Diaby's ankle). Wenger said in his post-match interview that he does not believe in coincidences. Could there be a link between the number of bad injuries that Arsenal suffer and the way that the media and managers egg teams on to combat Arsenal's passing and movement with a tactic of playing the man first, then the ball? Obviously no one wants to see referees blowing up every 30 seconds, but there has to be a happy middle ground where fouls are punished appropriately and above all, consistently.
The game itself kind of rather paled into insignificance, but when the dust settles, Arsenal will be happy with the three points. Bendtner took his goal well, and Fàbregas grabbed two assists and a goal to further cement his claim for best midfielder in the premiership this season. Eboué put in a decent shift on the wing, and after the shambolic defending in the first ten minutes, Campbell and Vermaelen were hardly troubled.
What was really encouraging though was the spirit shown by the players in the wake of Ramsey's injury. The sense of determination and passion was palpable, and the celebrations that followed the two goals that sealed the victory demonstrated the kind of unity that you need to win a title. The post match huddle was a tradition during Arsenal's unbeaten season, and it was in evidence again on Saturday. There will be a real sense of belief amongst these players that this can be their year, and with Birmingham the highest placed amongst their next five opponents, why shouldn't there be?
After initially feeling shocked and upset by poor Ramsey's terrible injury, these emotions were replaced by one I've not experienced in a long time: pride. I know, I was surprised too, but there was no mistaking it. With pride comes hope. Arsenal have to kick on and win some games, or all this endeavour will have been for nought. Aaron deserves better than that.
Fast forward to Saturday, 27 February 2010: Arsenal trail league leaders Chelsea by six points, but in the day's early kick off, Manchester City take all three points at Stamford Bridge as two Chelsea players are sent off. The Gunners travel to Stoke knowing a win would cut the their rival's lead to just three points. After an even first half which sees a sublime Bendtner header cancel out Stoke's opener (which dishearteningly comes about through a Delap long throw), Aaron Ramsey's leg is broken by a mistimed challenege from the Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross.
This time however, the Arsenal players are not going to let a horrific injury to a team-mate be the defining moment of their season. Instead it becomes the moment that allows them to go on and win the game. Instead of falling out of the title race, Arsenal have somehow managed to fall back into it. If Ramsey's broken leg can serve one purpose, maybe it's that it can be the inspiration for a monumental push towards the Premier League Summit, and finally Arsenal can be rewarded with the league title that they should have had two years ago.
Arsenal have released the following statement regarding Ramsey: “During yesterday’s match against Stoke City, Aaron Ramsey sustained fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg. Yesterday evening he underwent surgery.
"The operation successfully reduced the fractures and whilst it is too soon to state an exact timescale for recovery, Aaron will certainly miss the remainder of this season. Our thoughts are with Aaron at this time and everyone at the Club wishes him all the best in making as speedy a return to action as possible.”
At least the words 'career threatening' haven't been used. There was a genuine fear that Eduardo would never play again, and whilst he still hasn't quite recaptured the form that made his injury in 2008 such a devastating loss to his team, we should be happy that he's able to run, let alone play football. The sad thing for Aaron is that, at just nineteen, he needs to be playing and developing, not enduring surgery and physiotherapy. His seemingly good natured demeanour accompanies a precocious talent, and not only will he be missed on the pitch, no doubt he will be missed in the dressing room too. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't wish him a speedy recovery.
Having examined the incident, most people have come to the conclusion that there was no malice or intent in the challenge. They're probably right. It happens very quickly, and seems more like a coming together than anything else. Shawcross is visibly shaken and leaves the field in tears, and whilst his intention may have been to go in hard, it seems unlikely that he had any intention of injuring anyone. Stoke team-mates have spoken out in his defence with the usual fluff: "He's an honest guy"... "He's not got a bad bone in his body"... "I'd trust him over John Terry any day". That settles it then.
Well actually it doesn't. Shawcross has previous. He injured erstwhile Gunner and fox-in-the-box Francis Jeffers (after he had left Arsenal); Jeffers suffered ligament damage and was out for some time. In last season's fixture at Stoke, it was Shawcross who stood on Adebayor's ankle, seemingly in retaliation for an earlier challenge, and it was some time before the Togolese striker played again. I'll reiterate my belief that the Stoke defender did not go into the challenge with the intention of hurting anyone, but this kind of incident is symptomatic of the way that teams try play against Arsenal these days.
It is a widely held belief amongst fans, the media, players and managers that Arsenal 'don't like it up 'em'. If your team consists of eleven men who have more in common genetically with a gorilla than homo sapiens, then to take points off Arsenal you'll need to kick them off the park. That's great, football is a physical game, but if teams keep adopting this overly physical approach then someone will get badly hurt. People wonder why Arsenal seem to suffer a perennial injury crisis. Maybe it's because every other game they play involves getting the crap kicked out of them. Ramsey is the third player in recent memory to suffer a major leg break. There was the aforementioned Eduardo incident, as well as Diaby against Sunderland, in a meaningless end of season match (a fact that did not stop a Sunderland player from lunging in wildly on Diaby's ankle). Wenger said in his post-match interview that he does not believe in coincidences. Could there be a link between the number of bad injuries that Arsenal suffer and the way that the media and managers egg teams on to combat Arsenal's passing and movement with a tactic of playing the man first, then the ball? Obviously no one wants to see referees blowing up every 30 seconds, but there has to be a happy middle ground where fouls are punished appropriately and above all, consistently.
The game itself kind of rather paled into insignificance, but when the dust settles, Arsenal will be happy with the three points. Bendtner took his goal well, and Fàbregas grabbed two assists and a goal to further cement his claim for best midfielder in the premiership this season. Eboué put in a decent shift on the wing, and after the shambolic defending in the first ten minutes, Campbell and Vermaelen were hardly troubled.
What was really encouraging though was the spirit shown by the players in the wake of Ramsey's injury. The sense of determination and passion was palpable, and the celebrations that followed the two goals that sealed the victory demonstrated the kind of unity that you need to win a title. The post match huddle was a tradition during Arsenal's unbeaten season, and it was in evidence again on Saturday. There will be a real sense of belief amongst these players that this can be their year, and with Birmingham the highest placed amongst their next five opponents, why shouldn't there be?
After initially feeling shocked and upset by poor Ramsey's terrible injury, these emotions were replaced by one I've not experienced in a long time: pride. I know, I was surprised too, but there was no mistaking it. With pride comes hope. Arsenal have to kick on and win some games, or all this endeavour will have been for nought. Aaron deserves better than that.
Sunday, 21 February 2010
It's easy to get carried away with excitement this season; the media have billed this year's league as the most open in living memory, although those of us who aren't obligated to sensationalise everything can still recall a time when it was entirely possible that more than two teams might win the title. The appeal lies perhaps in the fact that whilst it's more than likely that the Premiership crown will go to Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge, there is less of a sense of the inevitable about everything: Arsenal have an outside chance of upsetting the odds and winning their first title since 2004 and the elusive fourth spot that brings Champion's league riches is still being contested by four teams. All this means of course is that when Chelsea win the league and Liverpool finish fourth, the sense of disappointment will be even greater. Still, best to enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Arsenal have been dropping in and out of the title race for the entire season. Every victory vindicates Wenger's faith in youth, every defeat brings his team closer to the scrap for fourth place. On Saturday the Gunners faced off against an out of sorts Sunderland team at the Emirates, and despite taking taking all three points, they made heavy weather of it.
Having conceded three against Manchester United followed by two against Chelsea, not to mention the farce in Portugal, the Arsenal defence has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. Against Sunderland however, it was the the lack of cutting edge up front that caused problems. It was a game that may have recalled for many the type of football on display during Arsenal's first season at the Emirates. The home team dominated the possession and shooting but with no reward, whilst allowing their opposition chances through rubbish defending. The major difference between events on Saturday and home games from several years ago was that Emmanuel Eboué was the stand out player of the afternoon; whilst his team-mates showed no real inclination to attack the game, Eboué was more than happy to run at opponents, getting in behind defenders and causing problems with low balls across the box. It was his run and cross/shot that created the first goal; the Ivorian found some space on the edge of the Sunderland area which he gleefully exploited, and when he was finally closed down on the edge of the six yard box, he dug out a ball to the far post which Bendtner turned in.
Sadly no one could match Eboué's drive, so Arsenal fans had to wait until injury time in the second half before the points were made secure. Ramsey, Nasri and Walcott all spurned decent chances, whilst at the other end Kenwyne Jones shot wide when through on goal and Silvestre was lucky that Darren Bent stayed on his feet after being grabbed from behind in the penalty area. Eboué's performance was probably the biggest positive to come out of the game, and will give Wenger pause for thought in terms of selecting his right back in weeks to come. Walcott looked more confident after turning in some absolutely terrible performances. He seemed happier to run with the ball and use his pace to beat players, but he still crosses as if he's scared he might hit someone. Promising though. An improved Walcott could pep up the offence no end.
This brings us on to the weekend's big negative. The most interesting statistic to have emerged recently came in the form of the revelation that Arsenal have averaged 3.2 goals per league game with Robin van Persie in their side this season but only 1.6 without him, which says it all really. Arshavin has tried his best, but he's not a number nine. Bendtner is useful but has had to recover from injuries, and isn't as effective at bringing other players into the attack as the RVP is. Rumours had suggested that the flying Dutchman would only be grounded until March, and could even return for the Champion's league quarters (assuming they are reached), but Arsenal have just released a statement which suggests we'll be lucky to see him back before the end of April. With any luck Walcott's resurgence will continue and we can look to Nick 'B-52' Bendtner to lead the line effectively, but on current form I'm not holding my breath.
With United dropping more points on the weekend against Everton and Chelsea beating Wolves in a particularly unconvincing fashion, Arsenal gained a little bit of ground on the league leaders; physically, in the form of points, and mentally, in the form of confidence. The Gunners remain rank outsiders, but when you consider that their eleven match run-in features games against only two of the top eight teams in the league, you may start to wonder for the umpteenth time this season whether it's just possible. If we can stay in the hunt until April third, when Chelsea play United at Old Trafford, then we'll take it from there. Otherwise, it looks to be game over.
Talk about the Champion's League fourth spot has thrown up an interesting debate in recent days. The premier league is considering the notion of a play-off between 4th, 5h, 6th, and 7th places to decide who gets the final spot in Europe's most illustrious club competition. I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed, but there already exists a play-off. It takes place over 38 games, each team plays all the others twice, and the final league standings reflect the successes and failures of the competitors. Seems fair to me.
Arsenal have been dropping in and out of the title race for the entire season. Every victory vindicates Wenger's faith in youth, every defeat brings his team closer to the scrap for fourth place. On Saturday the Gunners faced off against an out of sorts Sunderland team at the Emirates, and despite taking taking all three points, they made heavy weather of it.
Having conceded three against Manchester United followed by two against Chelsea, not to mention the farce in Portugal, the Arsenal defence has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks. Against Sunderland however, it was the the lack of cutting edge up front that caused problems. It was a game that may have recalled for many the type of football on display during Arsenal's first season at the Emirates. The home team dominated the possession and shooting but with no reward, whilst allowing their opposition chances through rubbish defending. The major difference between events on Saturday and home games from several years ago was that Emmanuel Eboué was the stand out player of the afternoon; whilst his team-mates showed no real inclination to attack the game, Eboué was more than happy to run at opponents, getting in behind defenders and causing problems with low balls across the box. It was his run and cross/shot that created the first goal; the Ivorian found some space on the edge of the Sunderland area which he gleefully exploited, and when he was finally closed down on the edge of the six yard box, he dug out a ball to the far post which Bendtner turned in.
Sadly no one could match Eboué's drive, so Arsenal fans had to wait until injury time in the second half before the points were made secure. Ramsey, Nasri and Walcott all spurned decent chances, whilst at the other end Kenwyne Jones shot wide when through on goal and Silvestre was lucky that Darren Bent stayed on his feet after being grabbed from behind in the penalty area. Eboué's performance was probably the biggest positive to come out of the game, and will give Wenger pause for thought in terms of selecting his right back in weeks to come. Walcott looked more confident after turning in some absolutely terrible performances. He seemed happier to run with the ball and use his pace to beat players, but he still crosses as if he's scared he might hit someone. Promising though. An improved Walcott could pep up the offence no end.
This brings us on to the weekend's big negative. The most interesting statistic to have emerged recently came in the form of the revelation that Arsenal have averaged 3.2 goals per league game with Robin van Persie in their side this season but only 1.6 without him, which says it all really. Arshavin has tried his best, but he's not a number nine. Bendtner is useful but has had to recover from injuries, and isn't as effective at bringing other players into the attack as the RVP is. Rumours had suggested that the flying Dutchman would only be grounded until March, and could even return for the Champion's league quarters (assuming they are reached), but Arsenal have just released a statement which suggests we'll be lucky to see him back before the end of April. With any luck Walcott's resurgence will continue and we can look to Nick 'B-52' Bendtner to lead the line effectively, but on current form I'm not holding my breath.
With United dropping more points on the weekend against Everton and Chelsea beating Wolves in a particularly unconvincing fashion, Arsenal gained a little bit of ground on the league leaders; physically, in the form of points, and mentally, in the form of confidence. The Gunners remain rank outsiders, but when you consider that their eleven match run-in features games against only two of the top eight teams in the league, you may start to wonder for the umpteenth time this season whether it's just possible. If we can stay in the hunt until April third, when Chelsea play United at Old Trafford, then we'll take it from there. Otherwise, it looks to be game over.
Talk about the Champion's League fourth spot has thrown up an interesting debate in recent days. The premier league is considering the notion of a play-off between 4th, 5h, 6th, and 7th places to decide who gets the final spot in Europe's most illustrious club competition. I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed, but there already exists a play-off. It takes place over 38 games, each team plays all the others twice, and the final league standings reflect the successes and failures of the competitors. Seems fair to me.
Sunday, 31 January 2010
When Arsenal went into the dressing room at Anfield at half time earlier this season, having played atrociously and conceded a sloppy goal, Arsene Wenger's rallying cry was "You're not fit to wear the shirt". A shirt that has been worn by the likes of Bastin, Brady, Adams, Smith, Bergkamp and Henry. Some of the greatest names in footballing history. Wenger would be forgiven for repeating himself before and after he shows his team a tape of their performance as they lost 3-1 to Manchester United this Sunday afternoon.
It would be nice if one could finish the sentence: 'I haven't seen Arsenal play that badly since...' and have to think back a little further than only November of last year when Chelsea gave the Gunners a similar pasting in front of the Emirates crowd. Whilst the other members of the 'top four' (perhaps minus Chelsea) have been on the end of drubbings this season (Utd lost 3-0 at Fulham and Liverpool lost 3-1 at home to Villa), Arsenal have been beaten by at least a two goal margin three times this season. The Gunners are still, technically, in contention for the top spot; however, today will probably be remembered as the point where, in terms of the title race, the three became two.
Man United's success this season is almost entirely down to two men: Ferguson and Rooney. Sir Alex has managed to negate the effects of losing one of the world's best players and kept his team competitive throughout a prolonged defensive injury crisis. In turn, one of the biggest reasons that Feguson has been able to do this is the outstanding form of Wayne Rooney who took his premier league goal tally for the season to 20 today. A bit of perspective will reveal however, that this short-term success is really only papering over the cracks.
To the casual observer, second place in the premiership, last 16 of the Champion's league and a trip to Wembley in the Carling Cup would suggest that all's well in the red half of Essex, er, Manchester, but it's the mid to long term future that the fans must really worry about. The Glazers are at that club to stay, and money that only a few seasons ago would have been spent on expensive British talent will instead service the debt. If United's top talent decides that their inevitably less lucrative contracts are an insult, then top European teams are waiting in the wings.
I only mention this because it's one of the few things which makes me feel better about today. Man U were there for the taking, and Arsenal had seemingly bottled it before the game even began. Ferdinand, clearly inspired by my Rocky II reference, took a swing at a Hull player in midweek, and Vidic was sidelined too with some kind of injury that I didn't care enough to research. The back four was therefore as follows: Evra, Brown, Evans, Rafael. That's a defence waiting to be tested, to be forced into making mistakes, to be put under real pressure. Did Arsenal capitalise on this makeshift backline? Did they hell. Arshavin jumped on a couple of early mistakes: he put a couple of chances wide when he should have at least hit the target, but his team mates did not share his enthusiasm and until the dying stages, the United defence looked far too comfortable.
The visitors used this defensive confidence to build from the back, and Nani and Park were both allowed to push on behind the Arsenal defence and play dangerous balls across the box. Ferguson clearly took careful notice when Ashley Young gave Clichy a torrid time in Birmingham midweek, and Nani seemingly had free reign to attack the leftback and try to get in behind him. It was with embarrassing ease that he skipped past Clichy, Nasri and then Fabregas before trying to clip a cross into the far post that a back peddling Almunia could only palm into the net. It was only four minutes later when, as an Arsenal attack broke down, Rooney received the ball in his own half before releasing Nani who was charging down the right wing. The centre forward was on hand to receive the Portuguese winger's return pass on the edge of the area and drill his shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Things got even when worse when, shortly after the restart, Park was allowed an extraordinary amount of space, managing to run from the half way line to almost the penalty spot before finishing past Almunia. Clichy will no doubt wonder why he afforded the Korean as much room as he did, not that it matters now.
A late rally saw a deflected Vermaelen effort find the net at the other end of the pitch, and Gallas should have scored with a header that might have made the scoreline more respectable, but in the end the visitors ran out deserved winners.
The media might suggest that the difference today was in the quality of the two teams, but that's nonsense. Arsenal's starting line-up matched that United's in terms of ability; the difference today was desire and commitment, of which Arsenal seemingly had none. They were second to every ball, slow to close down in midfield, and unwilling to run at the opposition with the ball, or run beyond them without it. The amount of time Carrick and Scholes had in the middle of the park to pick their pass was embarrassing. How does a team fighting to win their first major honour in five years show so little desire in one of the biggest games of the season, only a week after fighting back to beat Bolton after going two goals down?
Couldn't tell you. Almost inexplicable. The closest I can come to any kind of explanation is that a combination of memories of last season's Champion's League semifinal and the pressure of being considered for the first time in a long time as title contenders was simply too much to bear, and the side just folded under the weight of expectation. There's no excuse though. The Arsenal shirt is a privilege, not a right, and some of the current crop of players would do well to remember that.
Special mention must go to Denilson, who was completely anonymous in midfield, and Clichy, who made Nani look good (which is no easy task). In fact few players came out with any credibility. Fàbregas's struggles in midfield were more a reflection of the ineptitude with which he was surrounded; he, Rosicky and Nasri had a few bright moments, but hardly covered themselves in glory. Arshavin made a promising start, but his unwillingness to harass the United defence was irritating in the extreme.
If I may quote myself: '...if the players keep showing as much determination and spirit as they did on Wednesday night then there's no reason they can't sustain this title challenge'. Well if they show as little spirit and determination as they did on Sunday, there's no reason to think that Arsenal won't be overhauled by Villa, Spurs and the Pool and finish outside of the Europe spots all together. Chelsea are the opponents next weekend at the Bridge, and if that game ends in defeat then that really is the title challenge over for another year. There may be knock on effects from that, eg players looking elsewhere to satisfy their lust for silverware, but above all, I just don't want our shot at the premiership to end like this: not with a bang but a whimper.
It would be nice if one could finish the sentence: 'I haven't seen Arsenal play that badly since...' and have to think back a little further than only November of last year when Chelsea gave the Gunners a similar pasting in front of the Emirates crowd. Whilst the other members of the 'top four' (perhaps minus Chelsea) have been on the end of drubbings this season (Utd lost 3-0 at Fulham and Liverpool lost 3-1 at home to Villa), Arsenal have been beaten by at least a two goal margin three times this season. The Gunners are still, technically, in contention for the top spot; however, today will probably be remembered as the point where, in terms of the title race, the three became two.
Man United's success this season is almost entirely down to two men: Ferguson and Rooney. Sir Alex has managed to negate the effects of losing one of the world's best players and kept his team competitive throughout a prolonged defensive injury crisis. In turn, one of the biggest reasons that Feguson has been able to do this is the outstanding form of Wayne Rooney who took his premier league goal tally for the season to 20 today. A bit of perspective will reveal however, that this short-term success is really only papering over the cracks.
To the casual observer, second place in the premiership, last 16 of the Champion's league and a trip to Wembley in the Carling Cup would suggest that all's well in the red half of Essex, er, Manchester, but it's the mid to long term future that the fans must really worry about. The Glazers are at that club to stay, and money that only a few seasons ago would have been spent on expensive British talent will instead service the debt. If United's top talent decides that their inevitably less lucrative contracts are an insult, then top European teams are waiting in the wings.
I only mention this because it's one of the few things which makes me feel better about today. Man U were there for the taking, and Arsenal had seemingly bottled it before the game even began. Ferdinand, clearly inspired by my Rocky II reference, took a swing at a Hull player in midweek, and Vidic was sidelined too with some kind of injury that I didn't care enough to research. The back four was therefore as follows: Evra, Brown, Evans, Rafael. That's a defence waiting to be tested, to be forced into making mistakes, to be put under real pressure. Did Arsenal capitalise on this makeshift backline? Did they hell. Arshavin jumped on a couple of early mistakes: he put a couple of chances wide when he should have at least hit the target, but his team mates did not share his enthusiasm and until the dying stages, the United defence looked far too comfortable.
The visitors used this defensive confidence to build from the back, and Nani and Park were both allowed to push on behind the Arsenal defence and play dangerous balls across the box. Ferguson clearly took careful notice when Ashley Young gave Clichy a torrid time in Birmingham midweek, and Nani seemingly had free reign to attack the leftback and try to get in behind him. It was with embarrassing ease that he skipped past Clichy, Nasri and then Fabregas before trying to clip a cross into the far post that a back peddling Almunia could only palm into the net. It was only four minutes later when, as an Arsenal attack broke down, Rooney received the ball in his own half before releasing Nani who was charging down the right wing. The centre forward was on hand to receive the Portuguese winger's return pass on the edge of the area and drill his shot into the bottom corner of the net.
Things got even when worse when, shortly after the restart, Park was allowed an extraordinary amount of space, managing to run from the half way line to almost the penalty spot before finishing past Almunia. Clichy will no doubt wonder why he afforded the Korean as much room as he did, not that it matters now.
A late rally saw a deflected Vermaelen effort find the net at the other end of the pitch, and Gallas should have scored with a header that might have made the scoreline more respectable, but in the end the visitors ran out deserved winners.
The media might suggest that the difference today was in the quality of the two teams, but that's nonsense. Arsenal's starting line-up matched that United's in terms of ability; the difference today was desire and commitment, of which Arsenal seemingly had none. They were second to every ball, slow to close down in midfield, and unwilling to run at the opposition with the ball, or run beyond them without it. The amount of time Carrick and Scholes had in the middle of the park to pick their pass was embarrassing. How does a team fighting to win their first major honour in five years show so little desire in one of the biggest games of the season, only a week after fighting back to beat Bolton after going two goals down?
Couldn't tell you. Almost inexplicable. The closest I can come to any kind of explanation is that a combination of memories of last season's Champion's League semifinal and the pressure of being considered for the first time in a long time as title contenders was simply too much to bear, and the side just folded under the weight of expectation. There's no excuse though. The Arsenal shirt is a privilege, not a right, and some of the current crop of players would do well to remember that.
Special mention must go to Denilson, who was completely anonymous in midfield, and Clichy, who made Nani look good (which is no easy task). In fact few players came out with any credibility. Fàbregas's struggles in midfield were more a reflection of the ineptitude with which he was surrounded; he, Rosicky and Nasri had a few bright moments, but hardly covered themselves in glory. Arshavin made a promising start, but his unwillingness to harass the United defence was irritating in the extreme.
If I may quote myself: '...if the players keep showing as much determination and spirit as they did on Wednesday night then there's no reason they can't sustain this title challenge'. Well if they show as little spirit and determination as they did on Sunday, there's no reason to think that Arsenal won't be overhauled by Villa, Spurs and the Pool and finish outside of the Europe spots all together. Chelsea are the opponents next weekend at the Bridge, and if that game ends in defeat then that really is the title challenge over for another year. There may be knock on effects from that, eg players looking elsewhere to satisfy their lust for silverware, but above all, I just don't want our shot at the premiership to end like this: not with a bang but a whimper.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
It was a tale of two matches this week; the best of times on Wednesday, coming from 2-0 down to trounce Bolton Wanderers 4-2, followed by the worst on Sunday, being dumped out of the FA cup by Stoke.
All things considered, if Arsenal were set to lose one of those games and win the other, they probably got things the right way round, at least as far as Wenger is concerned. His team selection on the weekend suggested that he's more concerned with winning his first league title since 2004, and with another three points last Wednesday, people are again talking about a three horse race for the Premiership crown.
Just like Rocky II, Arsenal v Bolton II starts out with the protagonist (Arsenal, in case you're wondering), up against it. Rocky loses the big fight, Arsenal go two goals down. Uncanny. Unfortunately, the similarities pretty much end there. Instead of going out and buying a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am like Rocky, Arsenal set about digging themselves out of the hole they were in.
The two Bolton goals were immensely avoidable. Clichy looked a bit rusty (unsurprisingly really after a few months out) and his sliced clearance dropped to Kevin Davies, whose header fell to Gary Cahill to prod home. Fàbregas missed a good chance to level before Denilson felled a Bolton player in the box, allowing Matty Taylor to smash home the resulting penalty.
Perhaps worried about the possibility of another half time shouting fest, a la Anfield, the home side started showing a lot more desire, and their efforts were rewarded when Rosicky beat Jääskeläinen at his near post with a thunderous drive. There were chances to equalise, but at the break, the teams went in still at 2-1. Just a few minutes into the second half, Arsenal were level, but with no small amount of controversy. Gallas went into a challenge late and caught Mark Davies, the Bolton midfielder, on the ankle with his studs. With the referee waving play on, and after some comical defending, Fàbregas broke clear and with supreme impudence he rolled the ball through the keeper's legs from the narrowest of angles.
After 65 minutes Vermaelen was on hand to volley in a loose ball from 8 yards out, and after 85 Arshavin made the points safe following an interchange of passes with Eduardo which allowed him enough room to get his shot away from close range. A fortuitous three points, perhaps, considering the circumstances surrounding the second goal, but an Arsenal comeback always looked extremely likely, and the gulf in quality was always going to tell. One alarming aspect of the matches was the three clear penalties that should have been awarded to Arsenal which were ignored by the two referees. With the Gunners having received just one penalty all season, one possible explanation is that they might still be feeling the backlash from the Eduardo incident against Celtic right back at the start of the season. Still, no penalties were needed to take maximum points against Bolton, but an alarming trend all the same.
The result briefly put Arsenal at the top of the league, and if the players keep showing as much determination and spirit as they did on Wednesday night then there's no reason they can't sustain this title challenge. That said, they face a tough trip to Villa this Wednesday evening, followed by Manchester United at home, Chelsea away, Liverpool at home and then Porto in the Champions League. Should be a doddle. Song is coming back from Africa and Bendtner, Walcott, Nasri, Ramsey and Diaby are all back or due back soon, so we can go into each one of those games knowing we can win it.
With Fàbregas in the best form of his life, it's time our own Arsenal's own 'Spanish Inquisition' started asking questions of our rivals.
All things considered, if Arsenal were set to lose one of those games and win the other, they probably got things the right way round, at least as far as Wenger is concerned. His team selection on the weekend suggested that he's more concerned with winning his first league title since 2004, and with another three points last Wednesday, people are again talking about a three horse race for the Premiership crown.
Just like Rocky II, Arsenal v Bolton II starts out with the protagonist (Arsenal, in case you're wondering), up against it. Rocky loses the big fight, Arsenal go two goals down. Uncanny. Unfortunately, the similarities pretty much end there. Instead of going out and buying a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am like Rocky, Arsenal set about digging themselves out of the hole they were in.
The two Bolton goals were immensely avoidable. Clichy looked a bit rusty (unsurprisingly really after a few months out) and his sliced clearance dropped to Kevin Davies, whose header fell to Gary Cahill to prod home. Fàbregas missed a good chance to level before Denilson felled a Bolton player in the box, allowing Matty Taylor to smash home the resulting penalty.
Perhaps worried about the possibility of another half time shouting fest, a la Anfield, the home side started showing a lot more desire, and their efforts were rewarded when Rosicky beat Jääskeläinen at his near post with a thunderous drive. There were chances to equalise, but at the break, the teams went in still at 2-1. Just a few minutes into the second half, Arsenal were level, but with no small amount of controversy. Gallas went into a challenge late and caught Mark Davies, the Bolton midfielder, on the ankle with his studs. With the referee waving play on, and after some comical defending, Fàbregas broke clear and with supreme impudence he rolled the ball through the keeper's legs from the narrowest of angles.
After 65 minutes Vermaelen was on hand to volley in a loose ball from 8 yards out, and after 85 Arshavin made the points safe following an interchange of passes with Eduardo which allowed him enough room to get his shot away from close range. A fortuitous three points, perhaps, considering the circumstances surrounding the second goal, but an Arsenal comeback always looked extremely likely, and the gulf in quality was always going to tell. One alarming aspect of the matches was the three clear penalties that should have been awarded to Arsenal which were ignored by the two referees. With the Gunners having received just one penalty all season, one possible explanation is that they might still be feeling the backlash from the Eduardo incident against Celtic right back at the start of the season. Still, no penalties were needed to take maximum points against Bolton, but an alarming trend all the same.
The result briefly put Arsenal at the top of the league, and if the players keep showing as much determination and spirit as they did on Wednesday night then there's no reason they can't sustain this title challenge. That said, they face a tough trip to Villa this Wednesday evening, followed by Manchester United at home, Chelsea away, Liverpool at home and then Porto in the Champions League. Should be a doddle. Song is coming back from Africa and Bendtner, Walcott, Nasri, Ramsey and Diaby are all back or due back soon, so we can go into each one of those games knowing we can win it.
With Fàbregas in the best form of his life, it's time our own Arsenal's own 'Spanish Inquisition' started asking questions of our rivals.
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